The Scarlet Letter Essay - Critical Essays

The following paper topics are designed to test your understanding of the novel as a whole and to analyze important themes and literary devices. Following each question is a sample outline to help get you started.

Topic #1

Discuss Hawthorne’s blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory in The Scarlet Letter.

Outline
I. Thesis Statement: The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory.

III. Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter
A. The letter and its obvious manifestations
B. Pearl as a human manifestation of the letter
C. The settings as symbols
1. The settlement
2. The forest
3. The scaffold
4. The market-place